Thank you Chairperson

Honourable members
Distinguished guests

I thank you for inviting me to this conference, it is a privilege to be here.

One of the major issues that I am currently dealing with, is what I call the "Brown Files". This pile of brown files deals with disciplinary matters of teachers, dating back as far as a few years.

I'm sure you as principals bear the brunt of issues relating to both teachers, parents and learners.

And especially the discipline of learners is something that all of you grapple with on a daily basis. I have full appreciation for the fact that you have to make difficult decisions about the lives of youngsters, which not only affect him, but families.

I am extremely aware of the frustrations of some teachers in dealing with learners. But for reasons well documented, we are going to be firm when it comes to corporal punishment. We must, as a collective education community, apply alternative measures.

For those who do not know, my father was a school principal. My mother is also a teacher. So I am privileged to have been raised by such wonderful teachers.

In the last ten years our government made great strides in bringing about equality in our schools. We can indeed be proud of some of the achievements.

Expenditure on education remains the largest budgetary item in the province and country. The R5.466 billion we have allocated to the budget for this year, represents 30.31% of the total provincial budget. It confirms the value we attach to education in this province.

There has been a steady increase in the enrolment of children in the reception year in the last ten years, mainly in poor communities. I have committed the department to provide Grade R education to all five year olds by 2010.

Key developments in General Education and Training at the moment include the rollout of the Revised National Curriculum for Grades R to 9.

We are introducing the revised curriculum in stages, starting with the foundation phase this year. Training for Foundation Phase teachers last year was a great success, and already there are indications that the training of about 7,500 Intermediate Phase teachers and 1,000 school principals during the July holidays this year, seems to have been a success as well.

I have visited some of the centres where the training took place, and I was very impressed with the dedication and commitment displayed by the teachers. I want to commend you as principals for having sacrificed your school holidays in pursuit of a better education system for all our children.

The introduction of Further Education and Training in our schools is potentially the most radical policy shift to date in our schools. If managed correctly and professionally, we can as a society make great strides in overcoming the legacy of the past.

I am acutely aware of the concerns of teachers and parents about the introduction of FET.

International education practices, which I am sure you will know better than I do, dictate that sixty per cent of learners are in the vocational stream and forty per cent in academic stream.

At the moment we have a too strong focus on the academic stream of our education. This is not sustainable.

Our economy is increasingly under pressure in the global market. And our education system must adjust to the new demands and realities of the new economic order.

With FET we aim to introduce a wide range of subject options to learners in schools.

We are seeking to balance enrolment in schools and colleges, by way of our Grade 8 assessment programme and guidance on study options and careers in Grade 9.

We also aim to introduce new courses at FET colleges, and extend loan schemes for FET colleges.

We are working hard with our colleagues across the country on plans to start implement the curriculum from 2006.

One of the major challenges we currently face, is to improve the reading and writing abilities of our children. As you may well know, in the Western Cape a test result has shown that our Grade 6 children operate at Grade 3 level.

This is a challenge for all of us. It is a challenge we must tackle together.

Another major challenge, not only for the education department, but for government as a whole, is the lack of resources.

As one way of dealing with this challenge, we are currently in the process of compiling an audit into the possibility of selling off under or unutilised schools land and state property to raise extra funds.

With this extra money we hope to build new schools and/or extra classrooms. I am sure we are all aware of the growing backlog of accommodation in our province.

There seems to be a misconception that we are going to sell off all land summarily, belonging only to former Model C schools. This is wrong. We are investigating all possibilities.

And I want to stress, as a responsible government, we will be consulting with affected school communities, but ultimately government has to make a decision in pursuit of a better life for all.

Another important aspect of policy we are finalising, is the creation of non-racial education. This cannot be delayed any longer. I am happy that the majority of our people are prepared to walk this road with us. We cannot continue to waste money by transporting learners past existing schools.

May I also take this opportunity to inform you that I have appointed Mr Archie Lewis as Advisor to the MEC. He will be critical in handling this aspect, as well as other issues in my office.

Right after this address, I am going to a place called the Koue Bokkeveld. And we all know it's cold there. So we hope that from tomorrow learners and teachers can switch on their heaters because this school will have electricity from tonight.

This will bring to three the number of the schools which have so far been electrified in terms of the Premier's 100-day deposits.

Last weekend we have switched on the electricity of two other schools in Prins Albert (Seekoegat Primary) and Knysna (Bracken Hill Primary).

I am determined and confident that we will meet the Premier's deadline to have six of the twelve schools still without power, electrified as pledged by Premier Rasool in his inaugural address.

He has called on me to build our schools as a learning home for all.

In the last year the department held wide-ranging consultations to thrash out a long-term vision and strategy for education the Western Cape.

Participants have focused in particular on how to ensure administrative excellence, human capital development and running schools effectively.

These efforts will culminate in the Education Vision 2020 conference in October, which will play a key role in providing direction for the next ten years of education in the Western Cape.

You certainly will have a role to play in this conference and I hope you will be part of it. Let us all make a concerted effort in trying to deepen the culture of learning and teaching.

I want to encourage you to be at the forefront in building a learning home for all our children.

I thank you.

For enquiries, contact Gert Witbooi: 082 570 9118, or gwitbooi@pgwc.gov.za.

Gert Witbooi
Media Secretary
Office of the MEC for Education
Western Cape
Tel: 021 467 2523
Fax: 021 425 5689
Visit our website: http://wced.wcape.gov.za

The Western Cape - A Home for All
INtshona Koloni - iKhaya loMntu wonke
Die Wes-Kaap - 'n Tuiste vir Almal